Letter No. 6

Dear Everyone,

Tuesday, August 3

So, I bet you are wondering why you are getting a letter on Thursday? I CAN WRITE ON TUES/THURS NOW! (Sorry turns out we can only write but still not send until Sunday). Chief just told us to site and write, because FQA (Fleet Quality Assurance) is coming to check to make sure we’re writing. FQA is oversight here (50/50 recruits and RDC’s). They make sure the RDC’s are doing stuff and they can give demerits and stuff like that to recruits if we’re on our own or compartment chits if they come in and our ship is messed up.

If you haven’t guessed, Chief tends to do whatever he wants (we haven’t done PT “by the book” once). So understandably, they bug him a lot. On another note, did you know that every rank is rated yearly at each base? Want to guess who is the No. 1 rated Chief Petty Officer? Want to guess who are the No. 1 and 2 rated Second Class Petty Officers? Yeah, I have the top 3 RDC’s on this base.

So life is good. Thanks for the letters. Mere write more. Your letters are funny .
Graduation is early Thursday, September 2. We are supposed to be done at 1000 or 1100. So, I have until 2100 (really 2000) to be back here. Still don’t know how everything else will go. They said SWCC will be at Great Lakes at least a few days now. Divers leave the next day to go across the street to Dive Prep and Air Rescue leaves for O’Hare at 2:00 am Friday morning.

Thursday August 5

Okay, so more info on graduation on the 2nd. We should be checking into Great Lakes (the non-recruit training side of the base) which takes 5-6 hours. So I can hang out for a little bit, but then have to be back. The upside is we have Friday, Saturday and Sunday all as liberty from 0700-2000 (that’s subject to change). Next week is hell week; we have inspection and PT (normal Navy) test on Friday. Then we have a compartment inspection on Monday, Drill and Test 2 the next Friday and a bunch of events throughout the week.

We did Marlinspike (line handling) today and I got to be Bosun of the Watch (basically in charge of the whole thing), which was cool. After next week we’re basically on cruise control until graduation. We have our dress uniforms back in a week or so which will definitely be cool.

Everything is going a lot better. The RDC’s are actually having a little fun with us. Even Torrez is . . . well he’s still plain mean but he’s cracked a joke or two. At least I think they were jokes (he’s extremely deadpan). Keep writing. See you all in less than a month! 28 days and counting.

Love, Al

RDC Quotes (featuring PO Torrez)
PO Torrez: “Is there sugar in this coffee?”
PO Maudsley: “Yes”
PO Torrez: “You know I hate sugar. See this is why I’m insane.”
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PO Maudsley: “I don’t mean that I took it personally, BUT I TOOK IT PERSONALLY”
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Chief: “Always ask yourself with these new trends . . . would John Wayne do it?
PO Torrez: “Who is John Wayne?”
PO Maudsley: “He’s that guy you fought in that bar last month”
PO Torrez: “Oh, right”